There are several patents in this field; this may indicate a continuing need for improved racks for carrying objects such as skis, bicycles, suitcases etc behind an automobile.
The objectives of this invention include having a rack that:
a) attaches to a standard hitch on a vehicle, PA1 b) allows loading and unloading with minimal lifting, PA1 c) allows moving the loaded rack with minimal effort to provide access to the rear door of the vehicle, PA1 e) is rugged enough for usage with two bicycles, ski equipment, suitcases, etc., PA1 f) has a three point attachment to hold bicycles firmly in place with or without removing a wheel, PA1 g) has a quick release mechanism to allow movement of the rack from load to travel position, and PA1 h) has a pivoting support arm to allow transport of different sizes of bicycles. PA1 a) a quick release mechanism to allow moving the rack to variable positions while loaded rather than being limited to fixed positions wherein the rack may be pinned into place, PA1 b) rollers internally in our telescoping rack to allow easier movement of the rack, PA1 c) in one embodiment, a fold down wheel at an end position on our rack to allow free movement with release of the quick release pin to give access to the rear door of the vehicle, PA1 d) a three point connection for a bicycle to hold the bicycle firmly in place without removing a wheel. PA1 a) a two part or two segment extensible, or telescoping, support shaft with a bolted or pin type connection to a trailer hitch, PA1 b) a lever type eccentric clamp to allow clamping the segments in a desired position, PA1 c) one or more U shaped support channels fastened at right angles to the rearward segment of the support shaft, PA1 d) tie down straps to fasten each wheel of a bicycle in the support channels, PA1 e) a dual legged frame support clamp between the tie down straps and movable to fasten to the frame of different sized bicycles, PA1 f) in one embodiment, a fold down wheel to support the weight of the loaded rack as the load is moved rearward to allow access to the rear of the vehicle.
All these objectives are accomplished with the present invention.
The closest prior art found is U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,886 issued Jan. 3, 1995 to J. R. Sickler. The invention differs significantly from Sickler in that